An ill 81-year-old was forced to struggle into a hospital on her own after a parking attendant refused to allow her son to leave his car outside and escort her in.

Disabled John Impett, 60, wanted to park legally but found there were no drop-off spaces and long queues for the multi-storey car park. None of the pay-and-display or disabled spaces nearby were available and he was forced to abandon Eileen Newland and park more than a mile away.

Mrs Newland, who was suffering from a severe chest condition, made it as far as the Royal Sussex County Hospital's casualty ward before breaking down.

She was so exhausted she had to receive oxygen treatment befor she could undergo the tests arranged by her GP.

John Impett, 60, said: "Mum is very unwell and I wanted to make sure she got to the department safely. The parking attendent wouldn't even listen to me."

Mr Impett, a former driving instructor, of Dale Drive, Brighton, has a back injury from an accident eight years ago which left him with no feeling in his left leg. He walks with the help of a stick and has a blue disabled badge on his car. He took his mother to the hospital on Monday morning and tried to park outside the hospital's A&E entrance. Every other parking bay was full and there were no spaces reserved for disabled drivers.

Mr Impett said a parking attendent told him to move on to the multi-storey car park - which had a long queue. He decided he had no choice but to abandon his mother and drove to their nearest available space - more than a mile away.

Mr Impett said: "It was a long walk for me and took some time."

By the time he got back the urgency of his mother's condition had been noticed by medical staff.

Mrs Newland underwent tests which revealed her blood oxygen level was low. She was at the hospital for seven hours.

He said: "I'm not going to risk taking my car up there again. I'll call an ambulance next time. It will put more strain on the ambulance service but what else can I do?"

The hospital has more than 500 spaces but more than 2,000 patients and visitors regularly trying to park, as well as 1,000 staff.

Spaces outside A&E have been cut because of construction work. Rosemary Shepherd, from the hospital's patient public involvement forum, said arrangements should be made to handle situations like Mr Impett's.

She said: "It should be possible, however briefly, to accommodate someone who is disabled."

"The whole question of parking around the hospital is a nightmare and it is only going to get worse if they keep expanding without creating more facilities."

The Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust has a strict parking policy to ensure ambulances can reach A&E.